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My name is Mert Hekimci. I am a 32-year-old married man currently living in Istanbul, Turkey. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. I have been involved in the IT industry in various roles for more than 12 years. I’m an avid “gamer”, movie buff and reader. I can also very often be found watching, playing, or reading about football (soccer).

“It’s not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us.”

Pocket Money

In 1988, at the end of 5th grade, my father unintentionally sparked my interest in software development when he brought home a Commodore 64. It was only after a few months of playing video games and reading the manuals that came with the system that I started programming my first crude-but-fun games in BASIC. Soon after, I got my hands on a few issues of the official Commodore magazine, I realized I could easily leverage my growing interest in programming and make some extra pocket money by getting my games published in the magazine’s monthly source code feature, and I did.

Teen Journalist

In 1989, a month after my 13th birthday, I literally walked into a job as a journalist for 64LER—at the time, one of the most wildly popular video games magazines. My job was to review newly released Commodore 64 games. I still remember trying to sound older on the phone when fans of the magazine would call in for a quick hint about a certain level or monster, because practically anyone old enough to dare call the office was an adult!

Demo Scene

Working for a popular magazine that had a wide spectrum of media and technology related people in its radar, helped me to get my foot through the door of what is now referred to as the ‘demo scene.’ I teamed up with a local organization thanks to my programming skills in the Assembly language, which I learned by reading 64LER’s DIY column. I performed several functions for the demo team including (but not limited to) programming, distribution, and writing reviews. Eventually I moved onto a higher profile group. I truly feel privileged to have been a part of the demo scene.

College Trinity

Most kids grow up expecting that colleges or universities will teach them virtually everything they need to know about the profession they set out to study. Luckily I grew up learning about and practicing the skills I was going to need to have a successful IT career. This gave me the edge to use my time to continue to build a professional career while working towards my Bachelor’s’ degree.

My first software engineering job was to provide technical support for the customers of Seasoft, a small business that had been operating as the national reseller for a globally established fax server software vendor.

The next job I took while earning my degree, was at Banksoft, a software development house focusing on mainframe and Windows- based custom applications for the banking industry. My initial responsibilities were limited to administering and maintaining the internal servers for network connectivity, internet connectivity, database management, and electronic messaging. However, I was soon trusted with small web development projects—a skill that I again picked up through self-study by reading through the ASP and related Microsoft technologies in my spare time.

Packing Up

My last job during college (and before leaving the country for a job I had been offered in the US) was Coretech. It was there that I finally landed the job I realized I was my best fit—web development.

Hello America!

After an eye-opening, albeit disappointing job interview with Microsoft in Istanbul, I accepted a job offer from Deloitte. I soon found myself living in the suburbs of Chicago. During my six years at Deloitte, I started as an Associate Software Engineer, then transitioned into a Software Designer role, and eventually ended up as a Software Architect. Working for a corporate giant with cumbersome planning processes, policies, yet seemingly endless resources was an experience that taught me that the highest level of quality and efficiency in this line of work is actually somewhere in between the professionalism of a giant corporation and the productivity of a small developer.

Hip Again

Call it a mid-life crisis or not, the next and latest step in my career after leaving Deloitte was an up-and-coming online marketing firm—with a much more enjoyable, hipper, and casual atmosphere—where I enjoyed providing my professional services as a Software Architect.